The invention set forth in this specification pertains to new and improved manipulative games and more particularly to manipulative games which employ a timer so as to indicate the end of a period of play.
It will, of course, be recognized that many types of manipulative games have been widely adopted and used. Many of such games have been constructed so as to utilize a transparent cover and a bottom member which is spaced from the cover so that one or more objects may be manipulated by moving the housing from one location to another. Such games are frequently utilized as puzzles or the like. Such games are considered to be highly desirable for many play purposes because all of the parts of such games are contained within a single housing. This prevents such parts from being lost or causing any sort of a physical hazard, such as, for example, might result from such parts reaching the mouth of a child.
Unfortunately manipulative games as indicated in the preceding do not include a timing means or structure marking or indicating the end of a play period by stopping further play until the timing means is again actuated. The desirability of utilizing a timing structure for cutting off or limiting the end of a play period with a game or toy is of course well established. A number of toys based upon well established psychological testing principles and employing a timer are well known. For example, games employing specially shaped blocks which are fitted within correspondingly shaped openings and which are then knocked from these openings at the end of a playing period are considered to be quite desirable. There are other related games which do not knock off such blocks out of openings but which employ shutter-type mechanisms in connection with such openings at the end of a time period or which drop playing pieces through openings at the end of a time period or which lock or latch playing pieces in various openings at the end of a playing period.
All of such prior games employing timing structures are considered to have significant merit. They are also considered to be disadvantageous in that they all utilize comparatively small playing pieces or blocks which are capable of becoming lost or which can be considered a type of hazard under certain circumstances as indicated in the preceding discussion. As a result of this it is considered that there is a need for new and improved manipulative games which effectively utilize a timing action so as to end or terminate play until a timer is actuated and which are constructed in such a manner as to preclude the playing pieces used from becoming lost or from creating any type of hazard.